Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

We built them properly according to the regulations of the time. However, when we built our first tanks there was no requirement to test the soil. The reason why so many tanks are not working is because their method of operation does not suit every land type. While the regulations now require land to be tested, until a number of years ago this was not necessary. If the tank is not working properly because the local authority did not require that the ground be tested, the person who owns the house is innocent. It would be unfair to make the owner fix the problem given that he or she observed the regulations in the first place.

See this speech in context